A traditional Italian cookie with a Christmas spin! Perfect for dunking in your favorite holiday beverage.
Prep Time15mins
Cook Time1hr5mins
Servings: 28cookies
Ingredients
¾cupbutterlightly salted and softened
¾cupgranulated white sugar
3eggsroom temperature
2tsppeppermint extract
3¼cupsall-purpose flour
1tspbaking powder
¼tspsalt
1cupcrushed peppermint candy
Frosting
2cupssemi-sweet chocolate chips
2tbspshortening
½cupcrushed peppermint candy
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375.
Cream together butter and sugar.
Add peppermint extract and then eggs, one at a time, and mix until blended.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add dry mixture gradually to creamed mixture.
When you have only about a cup of dry mixture remaining to add, add the peppermint candies. I do this because the dough is very thick, and it's easier to stir in the peppermints before you've added all the flour.
Add the remaining flour.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment. This is important! The peppermint WILL melt out and stick to a pan, so you must use the parchment.
Separate dough into two equal portions. Place one portion on each cookie sheet.
Using floured hands, pat the dough on each sheet into a log about 1/2" tall and 4" wide, and going almost the entire length of the cookie sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly browned. I baked both pans at the same time, switching their positions halfway through baking.
Remove from oven and cool on wire racks about 15 minutes, or until you can touch the pan without being burned.
Using a pizza cutter or a bench scraper, cut your log into about 1/2" slices.
Turn slices on their sides on the pan (you should be able to fit all of them on one sheet, now. They won't spread any more.
Bake slices for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, using tongs, flip slices over so the other side can toast.
Bake another 10 minutes.
Remove and cool completely.
Frosting
Melt chocolate and shortening together (or take a shortcut and simply use melting chocolate).
Dip the end of each cookie in the chocolate and then sprinkle with crushed peppermint.
Let dry completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.